Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the country’s immigration authorities have been busy pursuing and rounding up undocumented immigrants. According to official figures, more than 142,000 people were deported in the first 100 days of the Trump administration. “It’s just the beginning,” they have warned, but the authorities’ actions have not been without obstacles.
While the IRS and the Postal Service have decided to collaborate in recent weeks by providing information on undocumented immigrants, the push for the Republican’s immigration agenda has been halted by court action and the refusal of sanctuary cities to participate with their police forces in mass raids. The Department of Homeland Security has responded with a vigorous campaign to encourage self-deportation, and Trump is offering up to $1,000 as an incentive to all those who do so. The success of the president’s plans remains in the hands of the states, their domestic law enforcement and criminal justice systems, and their willingness or lack thereof to cooperate with federal agencies in the task of hunting down and deporting undocumented immigrants.
The states with the most protective laws
Two states have the strongest laws protecting immigrants: Oregon (4.3) and Illinois (4.3). Three others also have fairly broad sanctuary statutes: California (3.95), New Jersey (4.05), and Washington (4.05).
In these territories, local law enforcement is not involved in deportations, and immigrant communities are generally better integrated.
Their children are less likely to live in fear of losing a parent to deportation, access to justice is protected, and crime rates are declining, according to research by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. When ICE carried out its first raid in Chicago, one of the largest sanctuary cities in the country, last January, the state’s Democratic authorities refused to participate in the operation.
States with immigration-friendly laws
There are four: Colorado (3.35), Connecticut (3.5), Maryland (3.25), and Vermont (3.55). All have enacted protections for immigrants and against the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
States that are moderately protective of immigration
New York (3.1) and Rhode Island (3.1) fall into this category. Both have taken steps to reduce immigration enforcement. However, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has expressed support for Trump’s plans in exchange for help with his legal problems (the official is accused of corruption), leading to a historic shift in the city’s immigration policy.
States collaborating with ICE
They are Arizona (2.65), Arkansas (2.7), Idaho (2.7), Indiana (2.75), Kansas (2.8), Louisiana (2.45), Mississippi (2.95), Missouri (2.95), Montana (2.9), North Carolina (2.85), North Dakota (2.95), Oklahoma (2.9), and South Carolina (2.65). These territories have enacted laws requiring local agencies to participate to some extent in immigration enforcement, furthering Trump’s immigration agenda.
States with anti-sanctuary laws
Alabama (2.4) and Tennessee (2.55) fall behind here. Two states with sweeping anti-sanctuary laws and significant negative effects on their immigrant residents.
The states with the most harmful immigration laws
Five states have the most aggressive anti-sanctuary laws in the country, requiring local agencies to become significantly involved in the deportation of undocumented residents: Florida (1.95), Georgia (2.55), Iowa (2.05), Texas (1.95), and West Virginia (2.4). Although several of these laws have been severely limited by federal court decisions, many of their implications remain.
